Electric laundry-iron.



' No. 792,792. PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.

E. H. RICHARDSON. ELECTRIC LAUNDRY IRON.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25. 1904,

ii -g.

UNITE STATES Patented June 20, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

EARL H. RICHARDSON, OF ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT ANDMESNE ASSIGNA IENTS, TO PACIFIC ELECTRIC HEATING COMPANY,

OF ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF IALI FO RNI A.

ELECTRIC LAUNDRY-IRON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,792, dated June 20,1905.

Application filed January 25, I904- $erial No. 190.443.

1'0 all 1071/0112 7?]; Duty concern:

Be it known that I, FAEL H. RIoHARDsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ontario, in the county of San Bernardino and State ofCalifornia, have invented anew and useful Electric LaumlIgv-Iron, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to laundry-irons which are heated bymeans of an I0 electric current which is passed through resistance-wirearranged in the body of the iron.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel and effective meansfor keeping the coils of resistance-wire separate to preventshortcircuiting and to also secure a good contact with the bottom of theiron to promote the conduction of heat from the wire to the iron andkeep the temperature of the wire down to the temperature of the iron.

Another object is to so construct the core upon which the wire is wound,to so arrange the resistance-wire on the core, and to so arrange thecore with respect to the iron that the conduction of heat from the coreto the 5 iron is DIOIl'lOt-Hl to the utmost degree.

Another object is to provide a novel switchplug and means for readilyattaching or de taching the plug, whereby the conducting wire is notunduly heated and its life is pro- 3 longed. Ordinarily the attachmentof the conducting-wire to the iron is made inside the body of the ironand is accomplished with more or .less difficulty, and theconductingwire becomes highly heated, and the insulation on the wireburns out, which causes short circuits, which result frequently inburning out the conductingwire, all of which is avoided in the presentconstruction.

Another object is to provide a novel device 4 whereby the iron may bestood on end without the necessity of employing a separate stand for theiron, as is commonly done, and without danger of burning the table orother support upon which the iron rests and to prevent overheating ofthe iron.

Another object is to provide a novel connection device so constructedthat a perfect connection must be made by the operator when attachingthe plug to prevent arcing or burning of the contact-points of theplugs. 5 As ordinarily constructed the contacts are frequently burned onaccount of the carelessness of the operator in merely pushing the plugin suiiiciently to make only a slight contact, and in the n'ianipulationof the iron the 5 plug is caused to move slightly away from thecontact-points on the iron, which causes arcing at the contact-pointsand resultant burning of the points.

Another object is to construct the connection device so that it will beventilated freely on all sides.

Another object is to provide for regulating the temperature of the ironby means of the plug-switch. 5

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention, and referring to thesame- Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section through the iron withthe handle removed. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the iron with the up- 7 perplate and some of the asbestos removedto expose the resistance-wire andcore. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the iron complete, showing itresting upon end. Fig. 4: is an enlarged detail view, partly in section,of the switchplug, the sectioirbeing taken on line X X", Fig. Fig. 5 isan end view of the switch-- plug, the conducting-wires being in section.Fig. 6 is a section on line X"X, Fig. at. Fig.

7 is a section on line X X f Fig. 2. Fig; 8 is a detail in perspectiveshowing the method of fastening the handle to the yoke. Fig. 9 isaperspective detail of the switch-tongue.

l designates the body of the iron, which is hollow, as shown, having asmooth solo and 5 rounded nose Z-I, the said body having sides extendingupwardly from the sole to form the open-topped box-like member toreceive the heating device.

I is a core which, as shown in the present 9 embodiment, is constructedwith a forward tongue 5 in order to secure a maximum core area uponwhich the resistance-wire is wound.

G designates resistance-wire, which is wound upon the core 5, as shown,and leads 7 and 8 from the respective ends of the wire are attached totheir respective binding-posts9and 10. The posts 9 and 10 are mountedupon the body portion at the rear of the iron. The wire-wound core liesclose to the bottom and is embedded in fire-clay 11, which serves toseparate the coils of wire, which prevents short circuits, and alsogives good solid contact between the wire and iron for the conduction ofheat. Asbestos 12 is packed around the edges of the core within the body1, as shown.

Surmounting the wire-wound core with its thin layer of fire-clay is arelatively thin layer of asbestos 13, over the top of which layer theleads 7 and 8 are carried. Arranged above the layer of asbestos 13 andleads 7 and 8 are several layers of asbestos 14, which fill the body ofthe iron from side to side and over the toe, but which at the rearterminate short, as shown, to form a space 15, in which lie thebinding-posts 9 and 10. Another layer of asbestos 16 is arranged overthe laminated layer 14 and extends to the extreme outside edges of theiron, having a contour similar to the iron, and a top plate 17 isfastened over the layer 16 to the body of the iron by cap-screws 18,there being pieces of asbestos 19 to fill the space between the layer 16and the top' plate 17.

In constructing the iron the asbestos extends considerably above theupper face of the body portion of the iron until the top plate 17 issecured in place. The top plate is drawn into place by squeezing the topplate down by means of a vise, and when squeezed into position thescrews 18 are tightened to hold the top plate securely in place. Theparts within the iron are thus securely held from displacement, beingunder considerable pressure produced as described.

A yoke 20 is fastened to the top plate 17 by means of a screw 21, therepreferably being a short asbestos strip, as shown, between the yoke andtop plate. A handle 23 may be fastened to the yoke by screws 24, and, asshown in Fig. 8, the ends of the handle are hooded to receive thestandards of the yoke 20. This protects the hand of the operator fromcoming in contact with the yoke.

-A lug 25, preferably cast integral with the yoke 20, is provided withaslot for the reception of a switch-plug 26, and the lug 25 ispreferably provided with holes 27, which allow a free circulation of airto keep down the temperature of the lug and plug.

Contact-blades 28 and 29 are formed preferably integral with sheetmetalclips 30, which are attached to the binding-screws 9 and 10, there beingasbestos washers interposed between the clips 30 and the body of theiron, the blades being formed by bending the clips inwardly andupwardly, so that said blades are inclosed by said clips. By referenceto Figs. 1 and 7 it will be seen that the 3 A stand-plate of fiber orhard rubber 31'is V screwed to the clips 30 and forms a stand for theiron, the face of the plate 31 being approximately in the same plane asthe rear face of the lug 25, so that the iron may he stood on end, asshown in Fig. 3, without burning the table and'doing away with theinconvenience of a separate stand.

The switch-plug 26 comprises an oblong block 32, preferably of fiber. Inthe present embodiment the plug has two contact-points, and the block 32is drilled for the reception of two split tongues 33. Each tongue 33 hasa flattened end 34, which is drilled, as shown in Fig. 9. The end oftheblock 32 is also drilled laterally with a large hole which joins thetwo other smaller holes, and the conducting-wires 35 are twisted wherethey pass into the block and are reinforced by a coil-spring 36, whichis held in place by set-screws 37.

The wires 35 after entering the block 32 are attached to the respectivetongues 33. The

switch-block 32 is drilled laterally, as at 38,

to enable screws 39 to be screwed into the flattened ends 34, the endsof the wires 35 being looped around the screws 39.

In making contact the switch-plug is pushed through the slotted lug 25,and the tongues 33 are wedged over the contactblades 28 and 29.Manifestly if the blades 28 and 29 were 4 of equal length a carelessoperator might push the plug in only far enough so that the ends of thetongues 33 rested lightly against the ends of the blades 28 and 29,which while closing the circuit would be apt to allow accidentalbreaking of the circuit. Under such conditions arcing would very likelybe caused, which would burn the contact-points; but in the presentconstruction if the switchplug is merely dropped carelessly into place,so

that only one of its tongues 33 rest upon the longest blade 29, nocircuit is formed, and to complete the circuit the plug must perforce bepushed in to make the other tongue 33 contact with the short blade 28,and in pushing in the plug the operator naturally pushes it as far as itwill go, which makes a perfect contact. It would require a very delicatemanipulation to stop the plug short of making perfect contact, so thatcarelessness in this respect is guarded against.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it should be understood that various modifications andchanges may be made therein without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

When not in use and the iron is rested flat on a stand, as ordinarilyemployed, owing to the extremely high conductivity of heat from the wireto the sole of the iron the sole becomes overheated, as heat is notradiated off from the bottom or sole, but pockets thereunder; but bystanding the iron on end the heat radiates freely from the sole and theiron does not become overheated.

What I claim is 1. In an electric laundry iron an opentopped hollowbody, a core in the body, resistance-wire wound on the core, a beddingof insulating material for said wire, insulatingpacking above the core,an insulating layer extending above said packing and above the sides ofthe hollow body, and a cover-plate adjustably fastened to the hollowbody to hold the insulating layer between said cover-plate and the sidesof the body and to compress the insulating-packing.

2. In an electric laundry iron, an opentopped hollow body, a core in thebody, rcsistance-wire wound on the core and a filling of fire-clayforming a bed for the wire-wound core, and a filling of fire-clay overthe core between the coils, asbestos filling above the core, an asbestossheet extending over the asbestos filling and over the sides of thehollow body, and a top plate holding the sheet against the sides of thehollow body and compressing the asbestos filling.

3. In an electric laundry iron, a hollow body,a core in thebody,resistance-wire wound on the core, and a filling of fire-clayforming a bed for the wire-wound core, and a filling of fire-clay overthe core between the coils, asbestos packing above the core, an asbestoslayer extending over said packing and over the sides of the hollow body,and a top plate for the hollow body holding said asbestos layer againstthe sides of the hollow body and compressing the asbestos, the asbestosterminating short of the rear wall of the body forming a space, andsuitable binding-posts, projecting into the space.

i. In an electric laundry-iron, a body, electric heating means in saidbody, a stand connected to said body to hold same in upright position,and electric terminals on said stand connected to said heating means.

5. In an electric laundry-iron, a body, electric heating means in saidbody, a handle secured to said body, a stand fastened to said body, anextension on the handle forming with said stand a support to hold thebody in upright position and an electric terminal adjustably supportedon said stand and adapted to have connection with the heating means insaid body.

6. In an electric laundry-iron, a body, electric heating means in saidbody, a handle secured to said body, a stand fastened to said body, andan extension on the handle forming with said stand a support to hold thebody in upright position, said stand being provided with terminalsconnected to the electric heating meansand the handle extension having apassage to receive and guide the plug for connection with saidterminals.

7. In an electric laundry-iron, abody, electric heating means in saidbody, a handle secured to said body, a stand fastened to said body, andan extension on the handle forming with said stand a support to hold thebody in upright position, said stand being provided with terminalsconnected to the electric heating means and the handle extension havinga passage to receive and guide the plug for connection with saidterminals, and said stand and handle extension being perforated for thepurpose set forth.

8. In an electric laundry-iron, abody, electric heating means therefor,clips secured to and insulated from said body and connected to theelectric heating means, and contactbladcs formed on the respective clipsand inclosed thereby, one of said blades being longer than the other forthe purpose set forth.

9. In an electric laundry-iron, abod y, electric heating means in saidbody, contact-blades secured to said body and connected to the electricheating means, one of the blades being longer than the other, and adetachable plug having spring-contacts for engagement with therespective contact-blades.

10. In an electric laundry-iron, abody, electric heating means in saidbody, a set of contact devices connected with the heating means, and adetachable plug having a set of contact devices for engagement with thefirst set, one contact device of one of said sets being longer than theother contact device of that set.

11. In an electric laundry-iron, a body, electric heating means in saidbody, a detachable plug for making electrical connection with saidheating means, and means for slidably supporting the plug free fromconnection with the heating means whereby the plug maybe slid in eitherdirection on the said supporting means to make or break the electricalconnection with the heating means.

In testimony whereof I h ave signed my name to this specification,in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, at Los Angeles, in the county ofLos Angeles and State of California, this-18th day of January, 1904.

EARL H. RIGHARDSON.

Vitnesses:

GEORGE T. I'IACKLEY, JULIA Towns END.

